Use the following links to download the
 Final Results * Course Stats

Hole-by-Hole Scoring was available thanks to the USGA-TPP Program
Click on the following links to view scores the following categories:

BOYS 18 & Under // GIRLS 18 & Under
 

RD. 3 RECAP News Article
Toro & Torres repeat as Junior Champions
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

RIO GRANDE, PR (Wednesday, March 27, 2013) - Sebastián Toro closed with the best round of the tournament in the Boys' division, María F. Torres shot the only score under par in the event, and both players defended their titles as Puerto Rico's junior national champions on Wednesday at the conclusion of the PRGA Junior Island Championship.

Toro and Torres both saved their best golf for last, though under very different circumstances. Toro began the final round in second place, just one stroke off the lead, but part of a pack of players who were very close behind second-round leader José Cardona. Cardona stumbled a bit on Wednesday, shooting a 77 (+6), while Toro carded a 72 to finish at +14 and win the Hank James Trophy for the second consecutive year. Cardona finished second at +18, while 14-year-old Kenneth Martínez, playing with the 'big boys', finished third at +19.

"They were 18 very competitive holes," said the champion. "I really enjoyed it because there were some very tense moments."

The 17-year-old Toro shared that he understands the importance of winning the national championship on multiple occasions, like Eduardito Figueroa, Wilfredo Morales and Rafael Campos did before him. "It means a lot to me and to my family, that has always supported me," he said. "It means a lot to me to have my name on that trophy, along with the names (of other players) I admire."

On the other hand, Torres enjoyed a 12-stroke lead after the first two days of play and only widened her margin of victory by shooting a final-round 70 (-1). Torres won the event at +2; Yudika Rodríguez and Gabriela Santini both shot 83 on Wednesday to take second and third place with total scores of +27 and +28, respectively.

With this win, Torres becomes the first Puerto Rican golfer, male or female, to win the Junior Island Championship on four occasions, thus wrapping up an extraordinary 'career' with the PRGA's Junior Program.

"For me, having this record is a real accomplishment," said Torres. "It was a real thrill to win the Island (Championship) for a fourth time and finish my time as a PRGA junior with a win."

Torres, a talented player with vast international experience, will be off to play at the University of Florida's prestigious golf program later this year. She credits tournaments like this and the Junior Program in general with helping her get this far.

"It has meant a lot. It has allowed me to develop in this sport, which is what I love," she said. "I hope the girls who are staying will keep on going."

Though Toro and Torres become junior national champions by virtue of winning the 18 & under categories, there was plenty of exciting action in the other age divisions.

Among the 15 & under boys, Leslie Rivera shot a closing-round 79 to finish at +26 and take home first place. He beat out Josaphet Durán (+31) and José Pedraza (+33). The Boys 13 & under division had the only sudden death action of the tournament; after Melvin Morales and Ian Aldarondo finished tied at +25, Morales won the one-hole playoff on the 18th hole.

Diego Saavedra took first place among the 11 & under boys, while Fabián Colón did the same in the 9 & under division.

Among the girls, Diana Vélez closed with a 76 on Wednesday to complete a solid performance in the 15 & under category with a total of +14. Her sister, Alexandra, finished second. Valeria Pacheco was the only Girls 13 & under participant, but she had the second-best total score of the entire tournament after finishing with a 78, for a total of +13.

Camila Robles beat out Valeria Jiménez in the 11 & under group, while Darianys Guzmán was unchallenged in 9 & under.

Cidras Signs Letter of Intent

Though she finished in sixth and last place in her division at the tournament, Gabriela Cidras still had a good day on Wednesday after signing a letter of intent to play college golf at St. Andrews University in North Carolina.

St. Andrews recruiter Randy Hernández was on hand to formally offer Cidras a spot on the team and a substantial scholarship for her university studies. “We had been following her for a while; we saw she had good scores, a good attitude on the course, and her teammates like her,’ he said. “I think she’s going to do very well with us, both on the course and in school.”

Francisco Rivera, the PRGA’s Tournament Director who also works trying to find opportunities for local young golfers in American colleges, was also key in helping Cidras receive this opportunity.

RD. 2 RECAP News Article
Exciting Battle for the 2013 Junior Island Champion Title
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

(Tuesday, March 26, 2013) The battle to take home the Hank James Memorial Trophy and become Puerto Rico's new junior national champion got even tighter on Tuesday, thanks to an exciting second day of play that saw José Cardona take the lead while a handful of competitors are close behind, heading into the third and final round of the PRGA Junior Island Championship.

Cardona, who had the best round of the day among the Boys, shooting a 75 (+4) on the Ocean Course at Wyndham Río Mar Golf Club. Cardona, who was in fourth place after the first round, took over the top spot and is now at +12. Close behind are the defending champ, Sebastián Toro (+13); first-round leader, Daniel Cabán (+14); and Kenneth Martínez (+15), who at just 14 years old is competing for the junior national championship by playing in the 18 & under division.

Meanwhile, on the Girls' side, two-time defending champion María Torres had the best round of any competitor on Tuesday with a 72 (+1), and now has a seemingly insurmountable lead. The talented and experience 18-year-old golfer now has a total of +3; her closest rivals, Yudika Rodríguez and Gabriela Santini, both shot a second-round 78 and are at +15 and +16, respectively.

In the Boys' 15 & under, leader Leslie Rivera (+18) is trying to hold off Josaphet Durán (+22) and José Pedraza (+25). Ian Aldarondo leads the 13 & under boys with a +16, while Melvin Morales (+18) is close behind in second place.

In the Boys 11 & under category, Diego Saavedra shot an outstanding 38 (+3) over nine holes, while Fabián Colón leads the 9 & under group at +5.

Among the girls, Diana Vélez had the second-best round of any player on the course with a 74, and now has a total of +10 and a sizable lead in the 15 & under division. Talented 13-year-old Valeria Pacheco, the only competitor in her category, kept showing off her skills with a secound-round 75 that placed her total at +6. Camila Robles leads the duo of 11 & under girls with a 48 (+13) over nine holes, while young Darianys Guzmán (9 & under) shot a 57.

The action wraps up on Wednesday, when the youngest golfers will play their final nine holes, while the rest of the field will play their third and final round to decide the winner of each category and crown the new junior national champions.

--------------------
RD. 1 RECAP News Article
Cabán and Torres holds First-Round Lead
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

(Monday, March 24, 2013) On a sunny Easter-week Monday, 16-year old Daniel Cabán shot a 75 (+4) on Monday at Wyndham Río Mar's Ocean Course to take the lead after the first round of the Boys 18 & under category at the PRGA Junior Island Championship.

On a tough day for the young golfers that produced a lot of high scores, Cabán managed a solid round to take a two-stroke lead after the first of three days of play. Andrew Báez shot a 77 and is currently in second place, while defending champion Sebastián Toro is in third after carding a 78.

In the 18 & under Girls division, two-time defending champ María F. Torres began her quest for a third straight trophy with a 73 (+2). Torres was on her way to having an even better round after consecutive birdies to start the back nine, but a double-bogey on 16 cost her a chance at an even par round. Paola Díaz and Yudika Rodríguez are in second and third place after carding 78 and 79, respectively.

The winners of these 18 & under categories will be Puerto Rico's junior national champions.

One of the big surprises of the day was Valeria Pacheco, who at just 13 years old, matched Torres' round of 73. Pacheco, who lives in South Florida and has been hailed as one of the top players in her age group in that area, also took advantage of the back nine, where she had three birdies against just one bogey.

Diana Vélez (77) leads the trio of girls competing in the 15 & under division.

Among the boys, Leslie Rivera also shot 77 to take the lead in that same age group, followed by José Pedraza (81). Among the 13 & under boys, Ian Aldarondo carded a 79 (+8) and has a one shot lead over Melvin Morales, who shot 80.

The second of three rounds for these categories will begin early Tuesday, when the 9 & under and 13 & under boys and girls will also tee it up for the first of their two rounds.

--------------------
PREVIEW
ANNUAL JUNIOR ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIP to tee-off at Rio Mar
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

(Saturday, March 23, 2013) The PRGA Junior Island Championship, which will crown Puerto Rico’s junior national champs, begins Monday at the Wyndham Río Mar Golf Club - Ocean Course, in Río Grande.

Over 60 young golfers will compete in a total of 12 categories, divided by age and gender. The 13 & under, 15 & under, and 18 & under players will compete throughout 54 holes between Monday and Wednesday, while the youngest players (9 & under and 11 & under) will go 36 holes on the final two days.

The winners, male and female, of the 18 & under category will be Puerto Rico’s new junior national champions. Sebastián Toro and María F. Torres will be on hand to defend their trophies; in fact, Torres will be looking for her third-consecutive victory in this event.

The Junior Island Championship has been held since 1985 for boys and 1994 for girls. The best Puerto Rican golfers of the last few decades have won this event: from Miguel Suárez, Wilfredo Morales, and Rafael Campos, to Janice Olivencia, Kyle Roig, and Torres, who at 18 is already the top female golfer on the Island. 
(View Records - Boys // Girls)

Beyond its historic value, the tournament holds great importance for the participating players and for the PRGA, since it’s the main and final event of its Junior Program. “The junior season endes with this event,” said PRGA Executive Director Julio Soto. “Then we start picking our national teams because the international events begin.”

According to Soto, while the PRGA takes into account other factors, it assigns great value to this national championship when it comes to picking players who will represent Puerto Rico. “The Championship definitely has a lot of weight because it’s the premier event of
our season and it’s an open, so anyone can come play,” he said. “That makes the field more competitive, and we take that into account and make the course pretty difficult.”  Back in 2004 and while hosting its 50th anniversary, the PRGA along with Rio Mar courses hosted the world's best amateurs during the World Amateur Team Championships organized by the International Golf Federation (IGF).

Indeed, this year’s Championship will host two talented young players from outside Puerto Rico who will bring their high level of play to Río Mar. Charlie Denvir, a promising Irish golfer whose mother is Puerto Rican, will play in the boys’ 13 & under division. Among the girls, in that same age group, Florida-based Valeria Pacheco will tee it up. Pacheco has recently won numerous tournaments and recognition as one of South Florida’s top golfers in her age group.

Because of its quality and level of competitiveness, the Junior Island Championship is recognized by none other than the R&A, which maintains the official amateur rankings. “The World Amateur Golf Ranking assigns points based on a player’s performance in this event,” said Soto. “The fact that the event enjoys recognition from a worldwide organization also gives it great importance.”

The action begins early Monday morning in Río Mar.

Puerto Rico Open

 

 

Scott Brown Wins the PR Open

Río Grande, PR (March 10, 2012) - Scott Brown calmly made a four-foot putt on the 18th hole at Trump International Golf Club to set a new tournament record of -20 and notch his first PGA TOUR win at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com.

"It's a dream come true, something you dream about as a kid," said Brown. "For me, I've been playing golf since I was four or five years old and, obviously, growing up in Augusta, Georgia, I was probably 500 yards from the front gate. So it means a great deal."

Brown, who co-led with Fabián Gómez of Argentina heading into championship Sunday, was -19 and one stroke off Gómez's lead to start the final hole, a par-5 that had yielded plenty of birdies and not a few eagles throughout the tournament. "I knew I'd have to, at least, make birdie, and I figured I'd have to make eagle, to be honest, the way he was playing," said Brown.

 

WIth the pressure on and the trophy on the line, however, Gómez stumbled. On his second shot, a wayward 3-iron landed in a trap short of the green. His third overshot the stick and rolled to a back bunker. Gómez lifted it out cleanly but left himself too difficult a par putt and he missed it by mere inches. The resulting bogey dropped him to -19 and a momentary first-place tie with Brown and Jordan Spieth, who had charged up the leaderboard en route to shooting a 67.

 

The door was opened for Brown, who left his second shot just short of the green, chipped to within four feet and stood over the putt that would make him a champion. "I was just trying to keep my hands from shaking off the putter," he later recalled. They didn't, and he sank it to card a winning 70.

 

The 29-year-old Brown wins $630,000, full PGA TOUR status through 2015, and 300 FedEx Cup points. He also earns automatic berths in top-flight events like this year's Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the Memorial Tournament, AT&T National, the PGA Championship, and the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

 

For Gómez, who shot a final-round 71, it was his best finish ever at a PGA TOUR event. Though obviously disappointed about the victory that slipped away, he was generally pleased with his performance.

 

"That's golf; you just never know," said Gómez about his finish. "I felt I had to make birdie because I thought he was going to make birdie, so I tried to hit it on there with the 3-iron and just hit a bad shot."

 

It had been the first time the Argentinean led a PGA TOUR event, and he confessed that nerves may have gotten the best of him. "The pressure definitely played its part, as did the course, which played tougher today."

 

For Spieth, the 19-year-old former world #1 amateur, this t-2nd finish comes in just his third PGA TOUR start as a professional. The former Texas Longhorn had started the day four back before birdies on five of the first 10 holes, but a bogey on 16 cost him dearly.

 

"Just one short; didn't get up and down on 15 or 16, and it cost me," said Spieth. "But all in all, obviously I'm real excited with how the week ended, and I would have taken second at the beginning of the week if you told me. It was cool to battle on the back nine there and know that I was close in the heat and feel the pressure. First time experience for me."

 

Justin Bolli (66) and Brian Stuard (68) took home of a share of third place at -18. Andrés Romero, who led after the first two rounds before a disastrous 75 on Saturday, bounced back with a 66 on the final day to finish at -17, tied for sixth with former U.S. Amateur champ Peter Uihlein (67).

 

David Hearn (66), D.J. Trahan (66), and Boo Weekley (68) finished tied for eight to round out the top-10.

 

Puerto Rican pro Rafael Campos carded a 74 to finish at even par for the tournament, the best score by a local player in the event's history. He finished 76th.

 

"These last three days I didn't do very well, but still happy to be here, very happy to be playing in this tournament and to make it to the final day," said Campos, who received a special trophy during the award ceremony for having the best performance by a Puerto Rican player.

 

Jorge García, the 17-year-old Venezuelan amateur playing in his first PGA TOUR event, finished at -1, one spot above Campos.

 

Success On and Off the Course

 

With down-to-the-wire action on the fairways and greens, and packed social events throughout tournament week, the 2013 Puerto Rico Open once again proved that it's a unique and fun-filled event for both fans and players.

 

From the Monday qualifier to the closing ceremony, the tournament was a resounding success on and off the course. Much of that is due to the hard work of the many organizers, volunteers, and sponsors who made it all possible.

 

"I would like to give our thanks to the over 80 great sponsors that have made the 2013 Puerto Rico Open a reality, specially to Mayor Eduard Rivera, the Government of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, our founding partners, Banco Popular and Triple- S, the late Don Arturo Díaz, Jr., and his family, Fondos Unidos, and our over 900 volunteers and staff", said Tournament Chairman Sidney Wolf.

 

The event was also successful in its many charitable and community initiatives. Whether it be golf demonstrations for area youngsters, sports equipment collection drives, or donations to local hospitals, the Puerto Rico Open was, and will continue to be, a place to show appreciation for our community and help strengthen it through the game of golf.

 

A big part of that was on display on championship Sunday which was also Pink Day in support of women's golf. The Puerto Rico Open and the Puerto Rico Golf Association have made it their priority to promote golf among women in Puerto Rico, and have created two new programs exclusively for women. The first, Golf and the City, organizes social events around golfing to introduce women to golf and offers free clinics by professional golfer Sasha Medina. The second is the Ladies Puerto Rico Golf Association, which helps female golfers improve their skills and techniques to a professional level.

 

We look forward to another great year at the 2014 Puerto Rico Open.

 

Gómez and Brown Lead the Field

Río Grande, PR (March 9, 2012) - Fabián Gómez replaced fellow Argentinean Andrés Romero atop the leaderboard on Saturday, a spot he now shares with American Scott Brown heading into the final round of the 2013 Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com at Trump International Golf Club.

Gómez, who on Friday had climbed to 5th place thanks to an outstanding round of 64, followed that up with a 65 on the third day of play to take the lead at -18. Early on in the round it was an exciting back-and-forth between he and Romero, but the latter began to slide and ended up bogeying four of his last seven holes to move down the leaderboard.

 

Then, when handing in his card, Romero was given a two-stroke penalty becaue of an

illegal drop on 12. That left him at +3 for the day, -11 for the tournament, and a tie for 15 th place.

 

“That's golf,” said Romero. “It gives and it takes away, and it took away quite a bit from me today. I'm a little upset but, luckily, it was the third round, not the fourth; hopefully I can play well and make it up tomorrow.”

 

While Romero was struggling, his playing partner, Brown, was on the charge. Brown, who tied for 5th at last year's Puerto Rico Open, began third-round play in second place and had four birdies on the back nine to shoot a 67 and join Gómez at -18.

 

“I played solid,” said Brown. “I'm keeping the ball in the fairway and hit a lot of greens and got up-and-down, keeping the momentum going. So just playing solid golf right now

 

Tomorrow will be the first time that Brown has the lead on championship Sunday and, should he win, it would be his first PGA TOUR victory. Both of those things also apply to Gómez.

 

“It's the first time and it will be a little difficult, a little nerve-wracking,” he confessed. “I'm going to try to stay as calm as possible so I can have a round like I did today.”

 

Strong Competitors Lurk Behind

 

Although Gómez and Brown now share a four-stroke lead, there's a strong group of players still chasing first place who will be looking to mount a comeback tomorrow. In fact, the eventual champions of the 2010 and 2011 Puerto Rico Opens came from precisely four back to win on the final day.

 

Brian Stuard, Blayne Barber, PGA TOUR rookie Steve LeBrun and 19-year-old Jordan Spieth share third place at -14. Spieth shot -5, including a hole-in-one on the 11th. Seventh place belongs to another youngster: rookie Morgan Hoffman (-13).

 

Seven players have a share of 8th place, including some familiar faces from last year's tournament. George McNeill (defending champ), Ryo Ishikawa (2nd place), Boo Weekley (3rd), and Matt Jones (5th) are all -12, as are Brendon de Jonge, Peter Uihlein and Justin Bolli. Ishikawa also had an ace, but on 8, while Jones' 64 was the best round of the day.

 

Local pro Rafael Campos, who had earlier become the first Puerto Rican player to make the cut at this event since 2008, struggled on Saturday. He bogeyed three of the last four and carded a 71, dropping to -2 and a tie for 74th place.

 

“I'm really not satisfied; I'm pretty upset right now, and a little frustrated,” said Campos. “Today was the day to play well, take advantage aand move up the leaderboard, and I really didn't like the way I played and I went down instead of up.”

 

The championship round of the 2013 Puerto Rico Open begins tomorrow at 7:10 a.m. The closing ceremony will follow immediately after play ends.

 

Campos Makes the Cut at PR Open

Río Grande, PR (March 8, 2012) -  Puerto Rican Rafael Campos also surprised some and delighted many on Friday by becoming the first local player since 2008 to make the cut at the Puerto Rico Open.

Campos, a member of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, shot an opening-round 67 and, at one point, stood at -7 before some struggles left him on the verge of making the cut. At -2 on the 18th, he hit his second shot into the rough but chipped to within a few feet of the cup and birdied to improve to -3. Players at -3 or better made the cut.

Campos is tied for 65th, but hopes he can make a move up the leaderboard.

“Definitely, I want to be in that top 10. I want to be in next week's PGA event,” he said. I know I'm a little bit far behind right now... but six or seven strokes over 36 holes, you know, that's nothing. You can lose two strokes with one bad shot. You can gain a couple strokes with one good shot.”

The other three Puerto Rican players failed to make the cut. Though he shot a solid 71 on Friday, Max Alverio finished at +3. Amateur Edward Figueroa finished +5, while Miguel Suárez ended at +11.

Andrés Romero improved to -14 with a a second consecutive round of 65 to take sole posession of first place midway through the tournament, but Scott Brown (-13) is nipping at his heels after an outstanding 63 on cut day at Trump International Golf Club.

Former world #1 amateur and U.S. Amateur champ Peter Uihlein and PGA TOUR rookie Steve LeBrun share third place at -12 after strong rounds of 65.

Romero, who co-led with Cameron Percy (now tied for 6th place, at -19) after the first day of play, had another outstanding day on the course and now holds the tournament record for best 36-hole start (130). The young Argentinean totaled nine birdies, with a double-bogey on the par-3 8th as the only blemish on his scorecard. Romero had never held the lead at a PGA TOUR event before yesterday and had missed the cut in four of his five tournaments this year before making what's turned out to be a key equipment change.

“What's helped me is going back to my old putter, the Spider with center shaft,” said Romero. “It's really been great for me; I had used that putter for a long time and then after a while I changed it. And then last week I started using it again,” he said, adding that he now feels like he can make any putt.

According to Romero, he also benefited from being grouped with good friends and fellow Latin American stars Camilo Villegas and Ángel Cabrera. “I had a great group with Camilo and 'Pato' Cabrera,” he said. They're actually great company and I think that also helped me play well. It helped me stay calm and very relaxed, and I think having good company has a lot to do with that.”

Indeed, the 2013 Puerto Rico Open is shaping up to have a distinct Latin American flavor. Fellow Argentinean Fabián Gómez shot a bogey-free 64, improving to -11 and rising to 5 th place, while Cabrera is one of nine golfers tied for 6th at -9, making it the first time three Argentineans have graced the top-10 of the PGA TOUR event. Jorge García, a 17-year-old amateur from Venezuela, surprised many by making the cut at -4.

Brown's 63, which matched the tournament record, featured eight birdies, one eagle, and some incredible shots.

“I holed a shot out on 7 from the fairway with a 7-iron... I think I had roughly 170 to the hole,” said Brown, who placed 5th in last year's Puerto Rico Open. “The next par-3, I made like a 50-footer for birdie and then hit it to an inch on 9 and kind of just jump-started my round.”

Defending champion George McNeill's round of -8 allowed him to leap up the leaderboard; from 64th to that pack of players tied for 6th. McNeill's round featured, at one point, six birdies and an eagle in the span of eight holes, success that he attributed to his work on the greens. “I was making putts. I hit it fairly close on some holes and, all in all, I made putts.”

McNeill was grouped with last year's 2nd and 3rd place finishers Ryo Ishikawa and Henrik Stenson, who also improved to -6 and -7, respectively. Some other notable names with solid scores through two rounds include: Patrick Cantlay and Luke Guthrie (-7); Rory Sabbatini (-6); K.J. Choi and Michael Bradley (-5); John Daly and Villegas (-4).

The cut was set at -3, with 77 players making it to the weekend. Some veteran TOUR pros like Stephen Ames, David Duval, and Lee Janzen missed the cut. Kevin Na (back), Eric Axley (hand), and Jeff Overton (back) withdrew mid-round citing injuries.

The third round kicks off on Saturday at 7:10 a.m., with the featured pairing of Romero and Brown last from the 1st tee at 12:50 p.m. Rafael Campos' group will start at 7:44 a.m.

 

Historic First Round for Campos

Río Grande, PR (March 7, 2012) - Rafael Campos birdied five of his last six holes on his way to shooting a five-under 67 on Thursday, the best round ever put together by a local golfer at the Puerto Rico Open.

Campos, who started on the 10^th tee with the last group of the day at Trump International Golf Club, began the day auspiciously with a birdie and remained -1 after playing the back nine. The front nine, however, were another story: Campos shot birdie, birdie, bogey, birdie, birdie, birdie to finish up. The last one was a perfect 15-footer in front of an excited group of local fans on the ninth tee.

“I really needed a good start today, a good first round, which is what I haven’t been able to have the last few years,” said Campos. “I knew if I focused and took it one shot a time the result would be good.”

In the morning, Argentinean Andrés Romero got off to a scorching start and Australian Cameron Percy had an almost perfect finish with his putter, which led both to share the first-round lead.

Romero And Percy carded outstanding rounds of 65 (-7) under favorable conditions. Each player took a decidedly different road to that score: after seven birdies and an eagle, Romero was at -9 before a pair of consecutive bogeys on two of the final three holes, while Percy stood at -3 before birdies on four of his last seven.

Percy needed only 10 putts to close out the back nine. “Well, they were all pretty short, except for on 12,” he said. “I holed about a 25-footer on 12, just a little left-to-righter that was a nice one. The rest of them were all five and six feet.”

For Romero, his work on the greens was also key. “I felt like I couldn't miss and, thank God, I'm putting well again,” said Romero, the highest-ranked Latin American player in the world.

Blayne Barber, the talented American 23-year-old making just his second PGA TOUR start, shares third place at -6 with Monday qualifier Jon Curran.

Ángel Cabrera, who played with his countryman Romero and Colombian Camilo Villegas in a historic grouping of Latin American stars, is tied for 4th after a round of 67 (-5). He shares that spot on the leaderboard with nine other players, including Campos.

Two-time champion Michael Bradley scored -3. Last year's runner up, Ryo Ishikawa, shot -2, as did 17-year-old Venezuelan amateur Jorge García. Defending champion George McNeill is at -1.

Kim Si-Woo, the 17-year-old South Korean phenom making his second PGA TOUR start, shot 79 and withdrew, citing back problems.

The second round begins 7:00 a.m. Friday at Trump International. Campos begins at 8:40 from the first tee.

 

Generous donation to Cancer Center

Río Grande, PR (March 7, 2012) - The Puerto Rico Open has already contributed over $200,000 to charity this year, and it kept on giving Thursday with a $6,500 donation to the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital's Cancer Center.

The donation, made in conjunction with the Díaz Family, will directly help patients at the Cancer Center. “We will use this money to help patients economically, particularly those who have insurance but don't have enough money to pay high deductibles,” said Fernando Cabanillas, the Center's medical director. “I want to thank the PGA TOUR, the organizers, and especially the Díaz family, which has been a huge supporter.”

Eugenia Mayoral de Díaz highlighted her family's long-time support of the Cancer Center, while Puerto Rico Open chairman Sidney Wolf reaffirmed the tournament and the PGA TOUR's commitment to charity.

“The Puerto Rico Open has donated over $4 million since its inception in 2008, and we will continue to support this and other organizations that do such important work,” said Wolf.

 

Hole-in-one Hightlights Pro-Am

Río Grande, PR (March 6, 2012) - PGA TOUR veteran John Rollins had the best round of the day among the pros at the Official PGA TOUR Acura Pro-Am, carding an outstanding 63 (-9) that has some thinking he could be a contender this weekend.

Rollins, who previously played and missed the cut at the 2011 Puerto Rico Open, has been off to a great start this year, with four top-25 finishes in five events. Today, he bested Rory Sabbatini by one stroke, while Alexandre Rocha and Graham DaLaet shared third place at -7. McNeill tied for 5th (-6) and Ishikawa was just one stroke behind.

 

In the morning round of the Pro-Am, Camilo Villegas' (-6) team of Eric Trump, Luis Palazzi, Alejandro Abrams and Puerto Rican baseball legend Iván Rodríguez took home first place with a score of 53. The groups led by Bryce Molder (-4) and John Mallinger (-5) placed second and third with scores of 56.

 

The big winner, however, was undoubtedly amateur Arturo Morales, who hit a perfect 7- iron to ace the par-3 8th hole and win himself a 

brand new Acura TSX. Morales, who has been golfing for over 20 years, said it was the first hole-in-one he has ever hit, and earned him some congratulations from his playing partner, pro Kevin Na.

 

“I still can't believe it. I'm just really excited and I just want to thank the tournament organizers, the PGA TOUR, and all the sponsors – especially Acura,” said Morales in front of his prize.

 

In the afternoon section of the Pro-Am, DeLaet's amateur squad of Roberto Schroder, Manuel Vizcarrando, Mike Hendrix, and Mike Pickett won first place with a score of 55. Pros Kevin Chappell and Matt Every led their squads to second and third place with scores of 56.

2013 Puerto Rico Junior Open

January 18-21, 2013 * Trump International Golf Club
Rio Grande, PR
--------------------------------------------------------------
Official Site * Tournament Field * Tee Times * Daily Results

 

FINAL - Jorge García Wins the Puerto Rico Junior Open

Río Grande, PR (January 21, 2013) - Jorge García finally achieved on Monday what he couldn't last year: a win at the AJGA's Puerto Rico Junior Open and, with it, that treasured exemption to play in this March's Puerto Rico Open, an official PGA TOUR event.

García, a Florida-based Venezuelan golfer, dominated from start to finish at Trump International Golf Club's Championship Course. His final round of 72 gave him a total of -10, a new tournament record, and a comfortable margin of victory. Americans Austen Truslow, Kristian Caparros and Cameron Champ shared second place at -3.

 

"I feel great about winning, especially by a solid margin," he said. "I started out a little nervous, because there was really a lot of pressure, but then I started hitting some good shots and started to feel better on the course. Thankfully I finished the round at even par which is what I wanted to do."

 

The win was sweet redemption for García, who lost this tournament by just one stroke last year to Puerto Rico's Edward Figueroa, but took full advantage of his second chance to claim the trophy. It was also his first win at an AJGA event, and will allow him to play any and all of their tournaments this year.

 

While García might have closed out his victory on Monday, he set himself up to win on the very first day of play with a tournament-record 63. He atttributed that great round, and his success here in general, to an extraordinary comfort level on the course and on the Island. Those are two advantages he'll enjoy once again in March at the Puerto Rico Open, which will be his first PGA TOUR event.

 

"We all work so hard to try to make it to the PGA (TOUR) and, to have the chance to play a PGA event as a 16-year-old, I really don't have the words to express what's going through my mind right now," said García. "Now I know I can play well in March and, hopefully, my game will work for me then like it worked this weekend so I can make some good birdies."

 

The best round of the day, and second-best of the tournament, belonged to Mexican Álvaro Ortiz, who shot -6. That score allowed him to climb all the way up from 29th and finish in a tie for seventh with a total of -1.

 

Puerto Rico's Junior National Champion, Sebastián Toro, had the best finish of the six local players who played in the tournament. Toro finished in 50th place at +16.

 

The Puerto Rico Golf Association congratulates García on his win and all of the players for making our third annual Puerto Rico Junior Open a great success. We would also like to thank the AJGA staff, Trump International Staff, PRGA rules officials and, especially, our great volunteers from Carvin School for their invaluable help throughout the weekend. See you next year!

 

SECOND ROUND - Jorge García Takes Big Lead Into Final Round

 

Río Grande, PR (January 20, 2013) - Jorge García widened his lead on Sunday and is in complete command of the AJGA Puerto Rico Junior Open leaderboard, where the fight seems to be for second place at Trump International Golf Club.

 

García, a talented Miami-based golfer of Venezuelan descent, followed up his record-breaking 63 on the first day of play with a second round of -1 on a challenging day in Río Grande. Some difficult hole locations, a windy morning and a scorching afternoon conspired to give players fits on Sunday, but García continued his steady play even as he coped with the day's dicfficulties.

 

"At the beginning of today's round there was a little more wind and, with the much tougher pin placement today, that made some of the flags a little harder to reach," said García. "I think that led to some higher scores." Indeed, only three players on the day had scores under 70.

 

Like in the first round, García attributed his strong play to a solid comfort level and and a cool head under pressure. "I felt really comfortable throughout the round," he said. I made two mistakes that weren't too costly and ended up just being bogeys, so that was fine. But I really felt comfortable on all 18 holes, and the course is really just in perfect conditions."

 

García now holds a seven-stroke lead over a pack of four players who share second place at -3. Mexican Luis Gerardo Garza, who had the day's low round of 68, shares that spot on the leaderboard with Americans Corey Shaun, Theo Humphrey and Cameron Champ.

 

Local junior Sebastián Toro remained the top Puerto Rican player, though he slid to a tie for 40th place after carding a second-round 77 that placed him at +8 for the tournament.

 

Though he heads into the championship round with a more than comfortable lead, García said that he wouldn't change anything about his approach on Monday. "I'm going to play my game like in the first two days; stick to my routine and my gameplan. There's no difference in my mentality for tomorrow: just stay in the moment and focus on my game."

 

Should García close out the win, he'll have achieved what he fell just one stroke short of achieving last year, when he finished tied for second behind Puerto Rico's Edward Figueroa. His prize: redemption and an exemption for the PGA TOUR's Puerto Rico Open.

 

The Puerto Rico Junior Open finishes on Monday with the third and final round.

 

FIRST ROUND - Jorge García Leads After Record Round

Río Grande, PR (January 19, 2013) - Jorge García picked up right where he left off last year at the AJGA's Puerto Rico Junior Open, setting a new tournament record with a first-round 63 (-9) on the Championship Course at Trump International to take a commanding lead after the first round of play.

García, a Florida native of Venezuelan descent, placed second in last year's tournament and finished just one shot behind the winner. On Saturday, he definitely played like he had some unfinished business, showing extraordnary skill and even better mental toughness on a windy day that saw only seven of the 68 players in the field shoot under par.

The young golfer had, simply put, a flawless round. He made nine birdies against zero bogeys and achieved the extraordinary feat of hitting all 18 greens in regulation. “When you give yourself 18 birdie chances, some of those are going to go in,” said García. I had a good day with the putter as well and, thankfully, everything worked out.”

 

García said it was definitely no coincidence that he showed great form here at Trump International last year and started off so well this weekend. “I don't know what it  is, but there's something about this course that I like, and I feel comfortable in this environment,” he said. “I just hit the ball so well,” added García, who said he hopes to carry the same calm demeanor and confident mindset into the tournament's remaining 36 holes.

 

Fellow Americans Corey Shaun and Theo Humphrey are the closest players to García, with scores of -5 and -3, respectively. Among the local players, Puerto Rico's Junior National Champion, Sebastián Toro, shot +3 and is currently tied for 31st place.

 

The Puerto Rico Junior Open continues until Monday, when a new champion will be crowned and will receive and exemption to play in the PGA TOUR's Puerto Rico Open, to be held this March also at Trump International.

 

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

Río Grande, PR (January 18, 2013) - A talented field of 72 junior golfers will tee it up starting Saturday at the third annual AJGA Puerto Rico Junior Open, being held once again at Trump International Golf Club’s Championship Course.

The 54-hole, stroke-play tournament will feature some of the top junior players from around the world, with nine countries and 17 states represented in the field. The winner will receive, among other things, a very special prize: an exemption to play in the 2013 Puerto Rico Open. Last year that honor went to Puerto Rican player Edward Figueroa, who dominated the event.

 

This year, a group of seven local players will try to match Figueroa’s feat, including current Junior National Champion Sebastián Toro. The 17-year-old Gurabo native also played in last year’s Puerto Rico Junior Open, and he believes that past experience will help him this weekend. “It gives me more confidence and I feel calmer,” said Toro, who admitted that last year he was “pretty nervous” during the event.

 

Toro shared that he has been putting in a lot of practice time, and that he hopes his familiarity with the course at Trump International will help him put together a strong performance in such a high-level tournament. “The level of competition is really high and anybody who is out there is capable of winning,” said Toro. “I’m just going to go out there and enjoy the course and the tournament, and if I end up in the top 20 I’ll have accomplished my goal,” added Toro, who is already a veteran of numerous prestigious international events.

 

The other Puerto Ricans in the field will be Daniel Cabán, Raymond Arrieta, Jr., José L. Cadrona, Mauricio Muñoz, Kenneth Martínez, and Alberto Firpi. It is worth noting that Martínez and Firpi, who are 14 and 15 years old, respectively, qualified for and played in the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s inaugural Puerto Rico Classic.

 

Some of the other young stars in the tournament field are Jorge García, who finished tied for second in last year’s tournament, and fellow Americans Cameron Champ, Matt Gilchrest, and Max Greyserman, who are currently in the top-25 of the AJGA’s Polo Golf Rankings.

 

Aside from the talent on the field, the Puerto Rico Junior Open has been recognized for its organizational quality. The inaugural edition of the tournament in 2011 was named the year’s Best New Event by the AJGA and, this year, the organization awarded our tournament with the Volunteer Award, in recognition of the extraordinary volunteer corps that makes the event possible.

 

These awards highlight the importance that the PRGA has given to this event and to junior golf, in general. “I think amateur golf is an especially important opportunity to give our youth,” said PRGA Executive Director Julio Soto. “This event is a great experience, not just for the players, but for all of those involved.”

PR Junior Open wins AJGA's Award

BRASELTON, Ga. — Local organizers of the Puerto Rico Junior Open, which takes place at Trump International Golf Club – Championship Course in Rio Grande, P.R., have earned the Volunteer Award from the American Junior Golf Association for the 2012 Tournament Season. The Volunteer Award is given annually to an AJGA tournament committee that builds the model team of volunteers committed to the success of the championship.  The tournament returns to the AJGA schedule in 2013 and will be played January 18-21.

Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual media coverage, Junior-Am fundraising tournament, charitable giving and hospitality. The AJGA also recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. 
Complete list of 2012 Tournament Awards.

“I think amateur golf is an especially important opportunity to give our youth,” said Julio Soto, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Golf Association. “This event is a great experience, not just for the players, but for all of those involved. We truly could not make this event what it is without the help and support of our volunteers.”

After receiving the award in 2011 for “Newcomer of the Year,” the Puerto Rico Junior Open was another successful event in 2012, something that could not have been done without the help of their volunteers. The  volunteers showed up every day to man timing stations, conduct live scoring,  drive shuttles and even help with meal counts and data entry. Volunteer assistance is a huge help to the AJGA staff. From greeting the players and parents to handling the cooler crew; the volunteers made this event a success.

Students from the Carvin School are a special volunteer presence at the Puerto Rico Junior Open. The students, under the guidance of Elaine Rivera, volunteer in all areas important to running a tournament. In addition to their help at the Puerto Rico Junior Open, the students volunteer at the Puerto Rico Open, the Puerto Rico Golf Association’s Island Championship, and the Junior Island Championship.

“Our incredible volunteer staff would not be what it is without Elaine Rivera and her students at the Carvin School. Ms. Rivera’s students are a key asset in assisting with scoring, standard bearing, pace of play, operations, and live scoring. Not only do these students effectively fill their duties, but many become fans of the game as well,” said Tournament Chairman Sidney Wolf, President of the Puerto Rico Golf Association. “The volunteers are a huge part of what makes this event the success that it is, and we absolutely could not do it without them.” 

Read More...

 

Dorado Beach Jr. Event - Final Results

 
Sebastián Toro                                                                                                    Valeria Pacheco

FINAL RESULTS - COURSE STATISTICS

Dorado, PR (Monday, Jan.14, 2013) - The third event of the 2012-2013 Junior Golf Season of the PRGA took place over the weekend at the Sugarcane Course at Dorado Beach.   With the participation of 53 players on all ten (10) categories contested, the tournament inaugurated the tournament season of the PRGA for the New Year.

Sebastian Toro led the field of the Boys 18 & Under with a 36-hole score of 147 strokes, while Alberto Firpi (Boys 15&U.) and Alejandro Toro (Boys 13&U.) came in first place at their respective categories.

Two of the promising juvenile players at the Girls Division, Diana Vélez (15&U.) and Valeria Pacheco (13&U.) , tied for the best score of the event with an aggregate total of 145 strokes.   Playing at her home course, Vélez shot two consistent rounds of 73 & 72, while Pacheco added up a one-under par 71, on Sunday to the round of 74 strokes on Saturday.  The 18 &U. division leader was Kristina Ortiz who totaled 155 strokes to win.

Top Players of the 11&U. and the 9&U. age groups, who compete over 9 holes each day were the following: 
BOYS – Diego Saavedra  & Diego Robles  //  GIRLS - Camila Robles & Darianys Guzmán.

The PRGA Junior Program Directors & Members of the Program are extremely thankful to SUBWAY, who provided lunch for all participants, rules officials and staff during the event.  The company has confirmed an important commitment to the golf association in order to support its program and events throughout and educational initiative to fight child obesity and teach healthy eating habits while practicing sports.

El Legado Golf Resort will be the next site for the 4^th event of the Junior Program Schedule of Events.

Jordan Spieth will play 2013 PR Open

Special Feature by Sean Martin / Golfweek.com

Jordan Spieth's, pro schedule is beginning to take shape. Sources told Golfweek that the 19-year-old has received sponsor exemptions to the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, as well as the Web.com Tour's season opener in Panama.

Spieth turned pro last month, midway through his sophomore season at the University of Texas. These are the first announced starts for the 2012 first-team All-American.

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is scheduled for Feb. 7-10, followed by the Web.com Tour's Panama Claro Championship on Feb. 21-24. The Puerto Rico Open is March 7-10, the same week as the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.

Spieth is one of several strong young talents who've accepted invitations to the Puerto Rico Open. Patrick Cantlay, the 2012 Ben Hogan Award Winner, also has accepted a invitation to the event (as well as this month's Farmers Insurance Open). He’ll use sponsor exemptions to complement his schedule on the Web.com Tour, where he has status after finishing 79th on the 2012 money list in just four starts.

Si Woo Kim and Sebastian Vazquez also have starts lined up in Puerto Rico. Kim, 17, recently earned his PGA Tour card at Q-School; he cannot use the status earned there until his 18th birthday in June, though. Vazquez, 22, earned his Puerto Rico Open start by winning PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Puerto Rico Classic. It was only Vazquez’s second pro start after earning medalist honors at the World Amateur Team Championship, where he finished one shot ahead of World No. 1 amateur Chris Williams.

Read Full Article...

Puerto Rico finishes 8th at Copa de las Américas

Final Recap

(January 6, 2013) - Puerto Rico finished tied for 8^th place at the 2013 Copa de las Américas which was held this week at Doral Golf Resort in Miami, Florida.

Erick Morales and Edward Figueroa combined to shoot +28 for the tournament. Both players stumbled a bit at the end, with final rounds of 79 and 80, respectively, after solid starts before the weekend had left Puerto Rico fighting for one of the top-5 spots in the Men’s tournament.

Overall, Morales submitted rounds of 74, 71, 78, and 79. Meanwhile, Figueroa shot 75, 73, 75, and 80 throughout the event. The highlight of the tournament for Puerto Rico was undoubtedly Figueroa’s ace on the 4^th hole during the first round.

The 2013 Copa de las Américas featured some of the best amateur golfers in the world from 11 countries in the Western Hemisphere. México won the Men’s competition with an outstanding total score of -1, followed by Canada (+3) and the United States (+6). The U.S. took home the Women’s trophy, while Canada won the overall category which combined the scores from both the male and female competitions.

The next Copa de las Américas will be held on 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, and will serve as a prelude to golf’s triumphant return to the Olympic stage later that year in Rio.

 

Second Round Recap

(January 4, 2013) - Puerto Rico moved into fifth place, just six strokes off the lead, after the second day of play at the 2013 Copa de las Americas.

Both Edward Figueroa and Erick Morales improved on their first-round performances on Friday. Morales led the way with a strong score of 71 (-1), three strokes better than his opening round of 74. The Rutgers alum got off to a great start on the day with an eagle on the par-5 1^st hole, and was able to maintain his rhythm and momentum throughout the rest of the day.

Figueroa, for his part, improved on his first round of 75 with a 73 on Friday. Unlike in that first day, when Figueroa recorded no birdies aside from a hole in one, the 18-year-old college freshman had four birdies on the day en route to a solid performance.

Both golfers had predicted that they would play better as the tournament wore on at Doral in Miami, Florida, and that has been the case so far. The talented tandem has Puerto Rico at a two-day total of +5, while Colombia currently holds first place at -1. México (+1), Canada (+2), and Argentina (+3) are in second though fourth place.

The action continues at Doral until Sunday.

 

First Round Recap

(January 3, 2013) - The Puerto Rican team of Erick Morales and Edward Figueroa put together a strong first round on Thursday at the 2013 Copa de las Américas being held at Doral in Miami, Florida.

Morales (74) and Figueroa (75) are a combined +5 after the first day of play. That puts Puerto Rico in sixth place on the Men’s standings, well within striking distance of leader Colombia in a crowded field of 11 national teams from the Western Hemisphere.

“Everyone is right there,” said Morales about the tight leaderboard. “There were a few rounds below par, but all the teams are pretty close.”

For Morales, it was an up-and-down day under beautiful conditions at Doral, thanks in part to a late arrival in Florida. “My flight was delayed and I didn’t get here until yesterday at 4:00 p.m., so this was like my practice round,” he said. “There were a couple of holes where I was a little lost and it cost me, because I would’ve made some different decisions if I knew the course better.”

Still, Morales was able to put together a solid round thanks to birdies on two of the four par 5’s on the course. “I’m feeling good about my game, I like the way I’m hitting the ball, and I know tomorrow (Friday) is going to be much better.”

Figueroa had it a bit tougher, with five bogeys in the round and no birdies. He did, however, manage a spectacular hole-in-one on the 4^th hole that was certainly the highlight of his day.

"Although I did not play very good today I am honored to be here and it is awesome playing a course that is in perfect condition and playing against some of the best amateurs in the world," said Figueroa.

Play continues at Doral until Sunday, when the best team in the Americas will be crowned.

PR tee off at 2013 Copa de las Americas

Doral Golf Resort, Fl. (January 3, 2013) - The PUR Men's team composed by National Amateur Champion Edward Figueroa and top amateur Erick Morales, began this morning their participation at this year's Copa de las Americas. 

Hosted by the USGA at the famed  TPC Blue  Monster Course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa, the field showcases a total of 11 countries, and eleven (11) men & eight (8) women teams participating. (USGA Storylines about the event)

Erick and Edward teed-off this morning around 8:10 am and 8:20 am from Hole #1, along with players from Guatemala and Mexico.  Only after three holes played, Figueroa accomplished every golfer's dream by scoring a Hole-in-One at the 220-yards Par 3 No. 4, as reported by PRGA staff attending the event in Florida. 

Live Scoring for both, teams and players is being reported after nine holes, so the Men's Event - Leaderboard Results will be refreshed by then.

You can follow the action of Copa de las America on Twitter by using the hash tag #Copa, or review the PRGA's Official Facebook page.

Stay tuned to www.prga.org for Updates & Scores...

Torres becomes Jr. Orange Bowl Champion

December 31, 2012 - Puerto Rico’s top junior golfer, Maria F. Torres closed out her 2012 in winning fashion with a victory at the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship, one of the most prestigious junior tournaments in all of golf.

Torres, who recently turned 18, finished with a total score of +4, one stroke better than her closest competitor, American Nicole Morales. Torres had rounds of 75 and 73 in the first two days of play before shooting a stunning, bogey-free 66 in the third round, a score that stood out as the best round of the tournament.

“After the first two days I was +6 and that round of 66 helped me a lot and put me in second place,” said Torres, who finished up with a 74 on the final day to claim the title. “Today (on Sunday) when I woke up I just felt calm; I would make a mistake and think ‘whatever, let’s keep going.’”

Torres pointed out that her win was due in large part to that self-confidence and to a good putting stroke over the last couple of rounds. She also admitted feeling excited to the point of near-speechlessness at the thought of having won such an important event. “It means a lot to me, to win the Orange Bowl. I’m very excited,” said Torres, who became the first Puerto Rican in history to win the tournament.

Over 30 talented competitors from countries like Argentina, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and South Korea played in the Girls’ category of the Championship, which was held at Biltmore Golf Course in Miami. Puerto Rican Yudika Rodríguez also played in the event.

Torres’ win is just the most recent in a string of great successes this year for the young golfer. In April, she won the AJGA’s TaylorMade-adidas event at Innisbrook, shortly before bein crowned the best female golfer in the Caribbean. She went on to play in prestigious events like the U.S. Girls Championship and the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy, as well as representing Puerto Rico at this year’s World Amateur Team Championships in Turkey.

“It was a year of big changes,” said Torres. “I had some wins, I achieved some things at the World Championships; it was really a very tough year, but great at the same time.”

Next up for Torres, this January, is the AJGA’s Annika Invitational. And, in just a few months, she will begin her NCAA career as a member of the University of Florida golf team.

“I just want to have a great finish to my junior career and start that next stage at college,” said Torres.

The Puerto Rico Golf Association, its Board of Directors and entire membership of the Junior Golf Program CONGRATULATES Marife on her accomplishment and important victory at her succesful junior golf career, due to her dedication, commitment and love for the game of golf as well as the support of her parents, family and entire training staff.

 

Torres leads the Girls field at the 2012 Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship

Biltmore Golf Club (December 30th, 2012) - Showcasing the skills, temper and game that awarded her the "Player of the Year" & "Junior Golfer of the Year" Awards for the most recent season of the PRGA Junior Program and "Rolex Junior All-American - Second Team recognition" by the AJGA, 17-year old Maria Torres is at the top of the leaderboard of this year's Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship Girls field after nine holes played at.   It is the first time ever in the history of the event, that a player from PR leads the field during any round and most important during its final day. (View Leaderboard)

Torres moved into contention of this important international junior event yesterday, when she shot a 5-under par 66 at the 6,089 yards / Par 71 course, in order to move up from a tie on 9th place into a solo second behind the leader on the third round, Megan Khan from USA.  There is around 20 other countries represented at the event contested by 32 players, including Yudika Rodriguez also from PR.

After her round yesterday Torres said she wasn’t sure why everything went so smoothly: “I really don’t know. I was just in my zone today. Everything worked, especially putting. I only missed four greens and got up and down each time, twice with good chips and twice from bunkers. I just felt so good, so in control for the entire round” - as quoted in the Press Release by David Mackintosh, Press Official for the event.


Puerto Rico represented at the 2012 Junior Orange Bowl

Click on the following links to view Boys / Girls TEE TIMES / RESULTS

San Juan, PR (December 26, 2012) - Three of the top local junior golfers from Puerto Rico will tee off tomorrow among the international field of players participating from this year's Junior Orange International Golf Championship.  The 2012 Junior Island Champions, Maria Torres & Sebastian Toro, will be joined at the annual golf championship by Yudika Rodriguez, one of the top ranked girls within the PRGA Junior Golf Program.

This will be only the second time in the history of junior golfers from Puerto Rico participating, where more than two local players participate from the event which showcases reknown professional players such as Tiger Woods (USA) & Camilo Villegas (COL), as well as Christina Kim (USA) and Julieta Granada (PAR) among the list of past champions.

Outstanding Results for Torres & Velez at the Doral Publix Jr. Golf Classic

Diana Velez & Maria Torres, came in second and third place in their respective categories as they participated last week at the 2012 Doral Publix Junior Golf Classic hosted by The First Tee Miami - Dade Amateur Golf Association.

Velez came in second place tied with two other players with a total of 146 strokes, and behind winner Sara Garcia from Spain by only a two-strokes difference at the 36-holes championship.  Valeria Pacheco came in 5th place by the minimum difference of one stroke (147) behind Diana athe Girls 12-13 Age Category.

Maria Torres, who played later in the week  at the Girls 16-18 Age Category, accomplished a third place with a total of 222 strokes, behind winner Emily Pedersen (USA) at 215 (-1).
 

 

Other players from Puerto Rico in the field of this important junior event were; Alejandro Toro, Héctor Rivera, Ian Aldarondo, Fabian Brugueras y Andres Aranguren in the younger age groups, and Joito Cardona, Kristina Ortiz, Alexandra Velez y Paola Diaz.

 

Si Woo Kim will play at the 2013 PR Open

By Alberto Medina - PRGA Staff Writer
San Juan, PR - (December 18, 2012) - Korean teen Si Woo Kim won't have to wait until his 18th birthday to make his PGA TOUR debut. Kim, 17, has accepted a sponsor exemption to the 2013 Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com, which will be held March 4-10 at Trump International Puerto Rico in Río Grande. The Puerto Rico Open is the first PGA TOUR event to announce that Kim has accepted an invitation to its field.  (www.gotopuertoricoopen.com)

Kim finished 20th at the recent PGA Tour Q-School at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. He is believed to be the youngest player ever to earn his PGA Tour card at Q-School, beating Ty Tryon's previous record. PGA Tour regulations will not allow Kim to play as a member until his 18th birthday on June 28, 2013. However, he can play in events before his 18th birthday on sponsor exemptions and Monday qualifiers. Kim will be limited to seven sponsor exemptions before his birthday.

This past year, another promising young Asian player had success after receiving a sponsor exemption to the Puerto Rico Open. Ryo Ishikawa, then 20, finished second at the 2012 Puerto Rico Open. It was the best finish of his PGA Tour career and the $378,000 prize helped him earn enough money to gain his first PGA TOUR card.

Heading into its 6th year, the Puerto Rico Open remains the only official PGA TOUR tournament in the Caribbean. It has consistently been rated as one of the most enjoyable stops on tour, and last year was named the PGA TOUR’s most Fan Friendly Event of 2011. Players and spectators alike enjoy the event’s unique tropical setting and the majestic Trump International, which has been voted time and again as one of the top-10 golf courses in Latin America.

The Puerto Rico Open has also served as a showcase and launching pad for some of the PGA TOUR’s brightest young stars. Since its inaugural edition in 2008, the tournament has featured players like Bill Haas, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, and Keegan Bradley. They, like many others, were up-and-comers when they played in Puerto Rico, and have since gone on to great success, major victories, and, in Haas’ case, the FedEx Cup title. Si Woo Kim, already a promising phenom in his own right, could very well be the next in that long line of future stars.

The Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com is hosted by the Puerto Rico Golf Association with title sponsorship from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. It is an official PGA TOUR event which now awards 300 FedEx Cup points. The 2013 Puerto Rico Open will be held on March 4-10 at Trump International Golf Club in Río Grande, Puerto Rico.

Read More....

For all media inquiries, please contact General Chairman and PRGA president:

Sidney Wolf * e. swolf@gotopuertoricoopen.com *m. (787) 467-8399 / o. (787)993.0890

Campos ends on a high-note at the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica

By Alberto Medina - PRGA Staff Writer

This past weekend, Puerto Rico’s top professional golfer, Rafael Campos, wrapped up a successful season on the inaugural PGA TOUR Latinoamérica as the circuit concluded with the 107 Visa Open in Buenos Aires.

Campos, who played on 10 of the tour’s 11 tournaments, placed 12^th in Argentina with a total score of -5. It was Campos’ fifth top-15 finish and allowed him to finish 14^th in the tour’s Order of Merit, which guarantees him a spot on next year’s circuit. Overall, Campos made 8 of 10 cuts and earned over $23,000.

PGA TOUR veteran Ángel Cabrera, playing in his first and only PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event, won the Visa Open in dominant fashion with a score of -18 after shooting a spectacular final-round 64. It was a fitting finale for the Argentines who dominated the season, winning 8 of 11 events and capturing four of the top-5 spots on the Order of Merit. Ariel Cañete, the only player to win two tournaments, easily finished atop the leaderboard, while his fellow countrymen Clodomiro Carranza, Matías O’Curry and Tommy Cocha took spots three through five, with Mexican Oscar Fraustro placing second.

Those five players will go on to play in the 2013 Web.com TOUR, where they’ll have the chance to earn their PGA TOUR card. Meanwhile, qualifying for the next PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season will take place in February with events in Perú and Florida, where the top 20 players from each qualifying tournament will join the field of returning players like Campos for next year’s circuit, which will feature additional events and even more excitement.

Congratulations to our Rafa Campos and all of the Latin American stars who made the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and, especially, the inaugural Puerto Rico Classic, so exciting. We look forward to next year’s competition.

Palmas Athletic Club - Jr. Program Event

Final Results * Course Statistics

Special Message to all Juniors on behalf of the PRGA Rules Committee

2012-2013 Season - Junior Program Ranking
(updated 12/10/2012)

Updates from Junior Team in Guatemala

Toro Gets Top-10 Finish in Guatemala
By Alberto Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

Puerto Rican junior champion Sebastián Toro added another impressive line to his golf résumé this week by notching a top-10 finish at the  LXI Junior Golf National Championship in Guatemala.

Toro, who played in the Boys 15-18 category along with fellow local players Daniel Cabán and Raymond Arrieta, Jr., finished his four rounds of play with a gross total of 310 (+26) on a very challenging course at Altavista Golf & Tennis Club. Toro was very consistent throughout the event with rounds of 73, 80, 78, and 79; that first round of 73 was one of the lowest in the entire tournament.

Cabán and Arrieta finished in 20^th and 23^rd place with total scores of 333 and 345, respectively.

The event, which featured 30 golfers from six (6) Latin American countries in that Boys’ category, was won in dramatic fashion by Colombian Pablo Andrés Torres, who beat out Salvadorean Daniel Gurtner by just one stroke, 294 to 295.

Next up for Toro will be the Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship in December. Other talented Puerto Rican junior golfers, like María Torres and Yudika Rodríguez, will also participate in that event.

Round 3 - Update (Thursday, Nov.29, 212)

Third round at the LXI Guatemala's Junior National Championship, gave Sebastian a chance to improve his overall position on the leaderboard, moving up few spots after a score of 78 (+5) strokes.  Toro is now tied on 4th place with Juan Ignacio Yumar from Venezuela, both going into the final round of the Junior Championship twelve (12) strokes behind leader Daniel Gurtner from Guatemala.

Second best score of the team on thursday was carded by Raymond Arrieta (pictured right) with an 83, recovering a total of seven strokes from day 2 which helped him to improve his position on the international field of juvenile golfers. 

Left-handed player Daniel Cabán once again struggled to break the 80's as he posted an 87 yesterday and is now tied at 19th place, but looking forward a better final round.

Click HERE to review the LEADERBOARD during the final round.

Link for the PHOTO GALLERY, on Facebook
(courtesy of Francisco J. Rivera / Raymond Arrieta)


Round 2 - Update (Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012)

For second consecutive day, Toro lead the local team with the lowest round of the 3 juniors from PUR on the field with an 80 (+8), which cause him to drop down some positions on the leaderboard.   He is now in a tie for 7th place with Alejandro Coll (COL) with a total of 154 strokes.

Daniel remained in the low 80's as his score on the second round was only a stroke behind (83) while Arrieta struggle to improve his opening round and carded a 90 on Wednesday, when chilly weather conditions and course difficulty seemed to negatively affect the scores for the entire field.

Round 1 - Update (Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012)

Sebastian Toro led the team with an opening round of 73 strokes, to finish at +1 and tied for third place with another junior from Guatemala, as a 68 (-4) from Pablo Andres Torres from Colombia was the leading score on the field, playing at an altitude of 4,300 feet over sea level and battling against the out-of-bounds that come in play almost on every hole.

Daniel Caban shot an 82, to complete his first round at Alta Vista Golf & Country Club at +10, while fellow team member Raymond Arrieta signed his card with an 87.

Talented Juniors Players begin participation at International Championship in Guatemala

(November 26, 2012) - Starting this Tuesday, a trio of talented local junior players will represent Puerto Rico as they begin play at the LXI National Junior Golf Championship in Guatemala.

Sebastián Toro, Daniel Cabán and Raymond Arrieta, Jr., will join nearly 60 young golfers from half-a-dozen nations for this year’s championship, which is being held at Alta Vista Golf and Tennis Club in the town of San José Pinula. The junior event, which will feature four rounds of golf and finish on November 30, follows the adult championship which was held earlier this month.

The Puerto Rican golfers who will tee it up in Guatemala are very strong players with vast international experience. Toro, the Island’s current junior national champion, most recently placed 5^th at this year’s Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships (CAJGC) and later played at the 2012 Callaway Junior World Championships.

Cabán, also a CAJGC participant, added the Junior Open Championship and the USGA State Team Championship to his golf résumé this year. Arrieta, Jr., who has competed internationally since age 10, recently helped Puerto Rico win the 2012 Copa Campeones against the rival team from the Dominican Republic.

Raymond Arrieta, who is accompanying his son and the other local players, said that the boys are ready and confident that they will put in a good performance. He also shared that it should be a challenging four days on a tough golf course.

“It’s a very narrow and mountainous golf course, and we’re at about 2,000 feet above sea level,” said Arrieta, who added that the weather has been cool. “They’re going to do a lot of walking and a lot of playing…I think whoever survives the best is going to end up winning,” added Arrieta, who anticipated that bogey might be a good score on many holes.

Stay tuned to the PRGA website for updates on our players’ performance in Guatemala.
 

Kristina Ortiz wins FCWT event in Florida

(November 25, 2012) - While the junior boys get ready to go in Guatemala, local girl Kristina Ortiz just wrapped up a solid victory at the Champions Gate 54-hole event in Orlando, Florida as part of the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) circuit.

The 15-year-old Ortiz, who had already notched a top-5 finish at a previous FCWT event, finished this past week’s tournament with a total score of +18.

She bested her two closest competitors, Chinese Tong Wang and Mexican Alejandra Velasco, by seven strokes. Ortiz also had the two best rounds in the tournament with scores of 75 on the last two days of play.  Natalia Rivera and

In the same event, but in the boys’ category, José Cardona (Joito) achieved a top-20 finish with a score of +18 in the overall field, but a 2nd place finish within the 13-15 division.  It was his second consecutive event among the Top 5 players on his category, since few days before he also played at the Mystic Dunes Golf Club event.

Fellow Puerto Ricans José Benítez, Ricky Ramos and Jayson González also participated from these events in Florida.

Read More....

REAL TIME SCORING OFFICIAL LINK  * TEE TIMES / GROUPS INFO.

Sebastián Vázquez Wins PR Classic

(Photo Credit - Enrique Berardi - / PGA TOUR Latinoamerica)

DORADO (November 18, 2012) - Mexican Sebastián Vázquez notched his first professional win and became the first-ever champion of the Puerto Rico Classic when the event wrapped up on Sunday with an exciting final round at Dorado Beach's East Course.

 

Vázquez, who went into the championship round with a score of -13 and a two-stroke lead over Argentinean Jorge Fernández-Valdés, added one stroke to his margin of victory by shooting 71 and finishing the tournament with a total of -14. The young golfer, who just last month was an amateur who won the individual title at the recent World Amateur Team Championships, displayed great composure throughout the week and took advantage of his magnificent performances on Thursday and Saturday, when he shot 65 and 66, respectively.

 

"I'm very pleased. I didn't expect this; the truth is that I came into the tournament with different expectations," said Vázquez about his victory. "I played conservatively when I had to play conservatively, I was agressive when I had to be agressive, I hit the bally well, and I didn't land in the rough much, which helps a lot," said the young golfer about his keys to victory.

 

Besides receiving the lion's share of the tournament's $125,000 purse and rocketing into the top-10 of the circuit's Order of Merit, Vázquez also won another valuable prize: an invitation to play in next year's Puerto Rico Open.

 

"Puerto Rico was very good to me and I hope it's even better next year so I can have a good performance," said Vázquez about playing in next year's Open, and about his experience on the Island, which he said was outstanding.

 

Fernández-Valdés finished second with a score of -12, and his countryman Julio Zapata shot -11 to take home third place. Fellow Argentinean Ariel Cañete, the tour's current number one player, finished at -6 to win a share of 7th place.

 

Figueroa top Puerto Rican player

 

Amateur player Edward Figueroa won the Jim Teale Player Performance Award given to the event's top Puerto Rican golfer; he finished tied for 14th with a final score of -2. Figueroa, who shot a final-round 74, started the day off well with birdies in two of the first three holes, but then followed up a double bogey on 5 with two more consecutive bogeys that knocked him out of contention for a top-10 spot.

 

"I was just hitting bad shots," he said. "I think I got tired throughout the day because I'm not really used to (playing for) four days; it's a lot of golf," said Figueroa, a college freshman who has been playing well on the NCAA circuit, which usually hosts three-round tournaments.

 

Though he felt disappointed by how he finished, the 19-year-old Figueroa said that he still enjoyed the tournament. "I always love coming down here and playing," he said. "I had a good time." Figueroa has now had the top Puerto Rican performance at the most recent Puerto Rico Open and, now, the inaugural Puerto Rico Classic.

 

"That means a lot because there's so many great players from here. It's always an honor to represent Puerto Rico," said Figueroa.

 

Fellow Puerto Rican amateur Erick Morales shot a final-round 78 and finished +9 for the tournament. Local pro Max Alverio shot 80 on Sunday and scored +13 for the tournament.

 

PGA TOUR Latinoamérica president Jack Warfield highlighted that the Puerto Rico Classic was a big success on and off the course. "Everything has been fantastic. The players had a great experience and the new Dorado Beach golf course has been great," said Warfield, who added that he expected nothing less.

 

"We knew thatwe partnered with the PRGA and Sidney (Wolf). We've had a lot of experience with them... we knew we'd have a great operation".

 

The PGA TOUR Latinoamérica takes this week off before moving on to Cali, Colombia for the Arturo Calle Colombian Coffee Classic Presented by Avianca. That will be the ninth of 11 tournaments on the new circuit's schedule.

Rio Mar Jr. Event - Final Results

Rio Grande, PR  (Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012) - The inagural event of the most recent PRGA Junior Golf Program season wrapped upearlier today at the Rio Mar Country Club - River Course with the participation of 54 young golfers between the ages of 8 to 18.  Showcasing a new format of 36-hole events, the program aims to provide more competitive rounds to its members who participate inthe regular season, while also preparing them for other events.

Kristina Ortiz recorded the best 36-hole score of the entire field in the two-day tournament with a total of 147 strokes, including a 1-under-par 71 today. She led the 18 & Under Girls division by 11 strokes over fellow competitor Yudika Rodriguez, who totaled 158. 

Diana Vélez (154), improved after a first round of 78 strokes, signing her card with a 76 today in order to win the Girls 15 & Under division by three strokes over her sister Alexandra and fellow competitor Natalia Rivera, who tied in second place at 157. Faviola González completed the first 36-hole tournament in her junior career with a total score of 192 strokes.

José Cardona was the low overall score at the Boys 18 & Under division with a total of 151 strokes, followed by Sebastián Toro (158) in second place. Kenneth Martínez earned the1st place in the Boys 15 & Under group with an aggregate score of 154 strokes. The leader of the 13 & Under age group was Melvin Morales (160), who barely got 1st place by just one stroke over Alejandro Toro (161).

Within the younger ages groups, Diego Saavedra (Boys 11 & U.) and Diego Robles (Boys 9 & U.) won their categories with final scores of 87 and 84 strokes, respectively. Meanwhile, Camila Robles and Adriana Balaguer were the female winners in those same age groups. Players in these categories played nine holes each day, with parents and/or friends as their caddies.

Please click on the link below to view the full results of all categories.

Our CONGRATULATIONS to all winners, participants and parents who attended, and MANY THANKS to the Carvin School volunteers, rules officials, and the Rio Mar Golf Club staff for making the event possible.

 

FINAL RESULTS

 

Roosevelt Roads Takes Home Club Championship

(October 23, 2012) – Over 65 players from five local golf clubs came together last Sunday at Trump International to compete in the 2012 PRGA Associate Club Championship. And, when all was said and done, the squad from the Roosevelt Roads Golf Association took home the victory and the Emilio Casellas Cup with a total of 1,049 strokes.

Roosevelt Roads dominated the competition, particularly thanks to the performance of some of its higher-handicapped players. While Iván Díaz, from Cangrejos Golf Club, led the 1^st Flight (0-4.0 HI) with a round of 77, and Mario ‘Coco’ Carbia, from the Liga Senior de Puerto Rico, was the best in the 2^nd Flight (4.1-8.0 HI) with a 74, Joaquín Negrón (80) and Jimmy Figueroa (83) far outpaced the competition in the 4^th and 5^th Flights to put some distance between them and the Cangrejos, who finished second with 1,088 strokes.

The Liga Senior finished third, just three strokes behind at 1,091. Tropical Golf Club and Coquí Golf Club also participated.

The Championship featured several notable players, like Carbia and Raúl Rivera, who recently represented Puerto Rico at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in St. Kitts. Incidentally, Carbia’s round of 74 was the lowest of any player on the day.

The Puerto Rico Golf Association congratulates the players from Roosevelt Roads GA on their fantastic performance, and thanks all of the participating clubs, Puerto Rico Senior League, Tropical Golf Club, Cangrejos Golf Club, Coqui Golf Club  and each and every one of the golfers who attended for making the event a resounding success. See you all next year!

Click on the following link to view the COMPLETE RESULTS!

Torres named Junior-All American

By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writer

(October 18, 2012) – Puerto Rican golfer María Torres was recognized as one of the top 24 junior female golfers on the planet when she was named to the Rolex Junior All-America second team by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). / The AJGA Insider - Oct. 2012

Golf Week announced the full list of All-Americans this week. The AJGA selected two teams of 12 players each, along with 24 honorable mentions, in both the male and female categories. Overall, 96 players from 22 states and 10 countries were recognized. (Read More...)

“It’s a big achievement for me,” said Torres. “I’m seeing the results of all the effort I put into playing well.”

Torres, a high-school senior, has had an exciting and successful 2012 that have made her more than deserving of the AJGA’s recognition. She began the year by repeating as Junior Island Champion for the third consecutive year; later she went on to win the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Junior at Innisbrook.

“Innisbrook was one of my favorite experiences this year, because it’s such a big deal in the AJGA,” said Torres about the prestigious event in Tampa, Florida. That was one of the national tournaments which gave Torres points toward the AJGA’s rankings; the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, in which Torres played for the first time, was another. Torres was also the individual champion in the junior and adult Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships, and placed in the top-20 of the legendary Duke of York Champions event in Scotland.

Recently, Torres helped Puerto Rico finish 20^th at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, while placing 26^th out of 157 individual competitors.

“I really have to thank everyone for their help, and my parents and all the people around me for their support,” said Torres. “I also have to thank the PRGA for all they’ve done; Dean (Spriddle), Marilina (Silén), and Sidney (Wolf).”

Spriddle, Puerto Rico’s national teams coach, congratulated Torres. “Congratulations on this second Team All American honor, which you so richly deserve. The way that you prepare, play and perform will see nothing but bigger and better things for you in the future. You are a credit to your parents, Puerto Rico and yourself,” said Spriddle.

Meanwhile, PRGA Junior Program director Marilina Silén, spoke about how Torres’ success speaks to the PRGA’s efforts to develop talented junior golfers. “Marifé came up through the PRGA. Her effort and her parents’ dedication have been important and a key to her success, but she has also known how to appreciate and take advantage of all the opportunities the PRGA has given her. I feel very proud of her.”

The 2012 season isn’t over yet for Torres, who will soon compete at the Doral Publix Junior Golf Classic, the Polo Golf Junior Classic, and the Orange Bowl International Golf Championship. Next year, Torres will begin her collegiate career as a student and player on the Florida University golf team.

Caguas Real wins Martin Ortiz Cup

CONGRATULATIONS to Eduardito Figueroa, Golf Professional at this year's host club Caguas Real Golf & Country Club, and his team members; María Torres &  Andrew Baez (18 & Under Div.) and José G. Pedraza & Gabriel Colón (14 & Under. Div.)

Click HERE to view the FINAL RESULTS

Campos finishes 4th in Brazil

Photo Courtesy of http://www.pgatourla.com
 

By Alberto C. Medina -PRGA Staff Writer
October 6, 2012 – Rafael Campos matched his best finish at a PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event this Saturday, when he tied for fourth place at the Brazil Open presented by Credit Suisse Hedging-Griffo.

Campos led the tournament from day one and went into the final round with a three-stroke lead, but he lost that advantage almost immediately after a disastrous triple-bogey on the 3rd and two additional bogeys on the 7^th and 8^th holes. The young pro bounced back; he started off the back nine with consecutive birdies on the 10^th and 11^th, and another one on the 13^th that put him back in a tie for first place with Argentinean Clodomiro Carranza, and Mexican José de Jesús Rodríguez. However, they both scored scored a birdie, each, in the final four holes to move ahead, while Campos double-bogeyed 17 and 18 to close out a round of 76 (+5) and finish the tournament with a score of -10 that dropped him to fourth place.

Rodríguez and Carranza fought it out in a playoff hole, with the Argentinean winning it to take home the title. Players from Argentina have now won all four of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event.

While Campos’ finish is surely disappointing giving how dominant he had been through the first thee rounds, it is still another fantastic performance and top-10 finish. Campos has now placed 4^th, 9^th,14^th and 4, respectively, in each of the circuit’s events, and he’s still in the top-10 of the Order of Merit. At the end of the season, the top-5 on that leaderboard will move on to the Web.com TOUR.

The PGA TOUR Latinoamérica now travels to Buenos Aires for its fifth tournament. The eight event will be right here on the Island from November 12-18, when Campos and many other local players will get their chance to play with the best in the region at Dorado Beach East.

Men's Golf Shatters Team and Individual Records in Winning Black College Hall of Fame

(9/30/2012) ATLANTA—The Alabama State University men's golf team shattered both team and individual records coming from four strokes back to win the prestigious Black College Hall of Fame Tournament held in Atlanta on the Mills Brown Golf Course.

The Hornets matched yesterday's 10-under- par round with another 10-under-par 278 in today's action and actually pulled away from first day leader Savannah State and Tennessee State, whom they were tied with after the first day of action.  ASU finished 15 strokes ahead of its nearest competitor.
 
The Hornets combined 20-under-par score shattered the former team record for 36 holes which was set two years ago at the James Shannon Invitational when ASU shot a two-day total of 1-over-par.
 
Jose Rodriguez completed his tournament matching his score of yesterday with another 6-under-par round (66).  He finished 12-under for the tournament and his score was the lowest score in the tournament giving him the all-around individual medalist.
 
Rodriguez' 12-under par finish was not only a career best, but also an individual school record for 36 holes.  Former ASU great John Montgomery previously held the record with a 7-under-par finish at the James Shannon Invitational in 2010.

READ MORE...

Courtesy of Alabama State University

Men's WATC / Round 3 - News Release

39^th place finish for Puerto Rico at Men’s WATC
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writter

(October 7, 2012) – The Puerto Rican Men’s National Team shot a very solid +1 in the third and final round of this year’s World Amateur Team Championship in Antalya, Turkey, where the squad finished in 39^th place with a total of +8.

Robert Calvesbert, who had the worst score on the team in the first two rounds, bounced back in a big way to lead Puerto Rico on Saturday with a round of even par that featured six birdies and would’ve been even better if he had not triple-bogeyed the 18^th on the Faldo Course. Jerónimo Esteve also had an excellent showing on the day with a score of +1, while Erick Morales shot +4.

Weather delays forced the tournament to end after 54 holes. Still, there were some excellent all-around performances and 23 countries finished below par. The United States dominated the event from day one and set a scoring record by finishing at -24, five strokes better than México, which finishes second. The Republic of Korea, Germany, and France shard third place with scores of -15.

Individually, Mexican Sesbastián Vázquez finished atop the leaderboard at -15. Esteve and Morales tied for 81^st place with individual totals of +6, while Calvesbert finished at +14. A record total of 72 nations and 215 players competed in the Championship.

The Puerto Rico Golf Association congratulates our players for another solid performance on the world stage, and we look forward to improving on these results at the 2014 Championships in Japan.

READ MORE...about the participation of Puerto Rico at the 2012 WATC.
 

Campos widens his lead in Brazil

By Alberto C. Medina / PRGA Staff Writter

(October  5, 2012) – Puerto Rican pro Rafael Campos now holds a three-stroke lead after 56 holes in the Brazil Open, as he looks to notch his first tournament win on the new PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

Campos, who has been at the top of the leaderboard since day one, had another fantastic round on Friday, shooting 66 to improve to-15 overall for the event. The 24-year-old shot two bogeys but made up for them with five birdies and an eagle on the course at the Sao Fernando Golf Club in Sao Paulo to remain in front of the other competitors heading into the championship round.

Those closest rivals are José de Jesús Rodríguez, from México, who is in second place at -12, and Argentinean Jorge Monroy, who has sole possession of third place with a score of -10.

While this is is, without a doubt, Campos’ best performance so far on the Latin American circuit, he had already established himself as a top contender. Campos finished 4^th and 9^th at the first two events in México, and 14^th at the third and most recent tournament, in Colombia, before his dominant performance so far in Brazil.

Regardless of whether he brings home the title, and barring a complete collapse, his play so far will propel Campos back into the top-5 of the tour’s Order of Merit. That’s where every golfer wants to be at the end of the year, since those five best players will move on to the Web.com TOUR and be just one step away from duking it out with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on the PGA TOUR.

A win in Brazil should also give Campos great confidence and momentum as he looks forward to the next events. The tour will move on to Buenos Aires this week, and it will come to our Island on November 12-18 for the Puerto Rico Classic.

Campos takes the lead at Brazil Open

By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writer

(October 3, 2012) - Puerto Rican pro Rafael Campos played one of the best rounds of his life on Wednesday, and currently leads the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s Brazil Open after the first round of play.

Campos submitted a brilliant performance at the Sao Fernando Golf Club in Sao Paulo. He scored seven birdies, including three consecutive ones on holes 16-18, and avoided all bogeys to finish the day with 64 (-7) and reach the top of the leaderboard. Mexican José de Jesús Rodríguez and Brazilian Ronaldo Francisco are following close behind; they share second place with scores of -6, each. Campos is the only Puerto Rican playing on the tour this week.

Campos’ performance in Brasil cannot come as a surprise, given his results in the three previous events on the Latin American circuit. He finished in the top 15 (4th, 9th and 14th) in each one, and he’s currently seventh on the Order of Merit with over $12,000 in winnings. At the end of the season, the top-5 players on that Order of Merit will go on to play in the Web.com TOUR and have a chance to earn their PGA TOUR card and play at the highest level of professional golf.

The Brazil Open continues until Saturday; then, the following week, the circuit will move on to Buenos Aires for the Roberto de Vicenzo Invitational. On November 12-18, the action will come to the Island for the Puerto Rico Classic, which will feature not just Campos but other touring pros like Max Alverio and Miguel Suárez, as well as recently-qualified local players like Wilfredo Morales, Eduardito Figueroa, José Esteves, and amateur Alfred Colón.

Solid start for Rafa in Argentina

Nordelta GC, Argentina (December 14, 2012) - After the first 18 holes played among the region's best professional golfers, he's at it again!

Rafa Campos is in 5th place after a first-round 67 (-5) at the 107 Visa Open de Argentina, presentado por Peugeot , the last tournament of this inaugural season for the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. 

He is tied in 7th place with two of the top five players from the Order of Merit, Ariel Cañete and Clodomira Carranza, and only two shots behind first round leader Angel Cabrera,  a US Open & Masters Champion,

It has been an exciting year and experience for Campos, who turned professional back in 2011 and later ranked among the Top 10 players in the TLA's Order of Merit during 2012.  His performance at the South American tour earned him a full exemption into the recently launched circuit conducted by the PGA TOUR. 

As the overall champion of the PRGA Championship held back in June 2012, Campos is expected to play in the 2013 PR Open along Sebastián Vázquez (MEX) who won the 2012 PR Classic in only his second start as a golf professional

Stay tuned to PRGA.org for Updates on Campos performance at the 107 Visa Open and other interesting news for golf in Puerto Rico.
 

El Legado Jr. Event - Final Results

   
Andrew Baez                                                                                     Valeria Pacheco

FINAL RESULTS * * COURSE STATS * * UPDATED RANKINGS

CONGRATULATIONS TO VALERIA SOFIA PACHECO & ANDREW BAEZ (pictured above)
for their performance as the Low Individual Players
after 36 holes at their respective categories.

Pacheco led the Girls 13 & U. group, and the rest of the girls divisions
with 1-under par 71 today and 75 yesterday for a total of 146 strokes.

Báez (154) made a comeback today with a 74 at the Boys 18 & U.,
after a first round of 80 strokes to came in first place by only a one-stroke difference.

For the COMPLETE RESULTS, please click on the link above.

The PRGA  Junior Program Committee THANKS
SUBWAY, RICOH, Volunteer Rules Official - Mr. Francis Medina, Carvin School,
PRGA Board Members, Parents and Family of participants, as well as
Mr. Carlos Matos, Owner at El Legado Golf Resort
and his staff for hosting the event and helping to become
another success during our 2012-2013 Jr. Program Season.

Don't forget to look for the

 
at the Turn Updates on our Facebook Page